1 “ As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

¶ And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to encourage and to strengthen him.

2 N ow will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall yet be three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall obtain far greater riches than they all; and by his strengthening himself with his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

3 A mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

And a valiant king shall stand up, that shall rule over a great dominion and do according to his will.

4 W hen he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.

But when he is reigning, his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided by the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion by which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

5 T he king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

¶ And the king of the south, and of his principalities, shall make himself strong; and he shall exceed him and make himself powerful; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6 A t the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

But at the end of some years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; for she shall be given up and those that brought her and he that begat her, and those that were for her in this time.

7 B ut out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

But of the new shoot from her roots shall one stand up upon his throne and shall come unto the army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north and do in them according to his will and shall prevail:

8 A lso their gods, with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north.

and even their gods, with their princes, with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, shall be taken captive in Egypt; and for some years he shall maintain himself against the king of the north.

9 H e shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.

Thus shall the king of the south enter into the kingdom and return to his own land.

10 H is sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to his fortress.

But the sons of that one shall be stirred up and shall assemble a multitude of great armies and shall come in great haste, and overflow and pass through and turn and come with wrath unto his fortress.

11 T he king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall send out a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.

Therefore the king of the south shall become furious and shall come forth and fight with him even with the king of the north; and he shall put a great multitude into the field, but all that multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 T he multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

Therefore the multitude shall be filled with pride, his heart shall be lifted up, and he shall cast down many thousands, but he shall not prevail.

13 T he king of the north shall return, and shall send out a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with much substance.

And the king of the north shall put another multitude greater than the former in the field and at the end of a time of some years shall come in great haste with a great army and with much riches.

14 I n those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among your people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

But in those times many shall stand up against the king of the south, and sons of robbers of thy people shall raise themselves up to establish the vision, but they shall fall.

15 S o the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand.

So the king of the north shall come and cast up a mount and shall take the strong cities, and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any fortress that can withstand.

16 B ut he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.

And he that comes against him shall do according to his own will, and there shall be no one that can stand before him, and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

17 H e shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him.

He shall then set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom and shall do upright things with him, and he shall give him a daughter of his women to persuade her, but she shall not stand, neither be for him.

18 A fter this shall he turn his face to the islands, and shall take many: but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yes, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn on him.

After this he shall turn his face unto the isles and shall take many, but a prince shall cause him to cease his affront and shall even turn his reproach upon him.

19 T hen he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall and not appear again.

20 T hen shall stand up in his place one who shall cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

Then shall succeed in his throne a taker of taxes who shall be the glory of the kingdom, but within few days he shall be broken, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 I n his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

¶ And a vile person shall succeed in his place, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: nevertheless he shall come in with peace and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 T he overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant.

And with the arms they shall be overflown of a flood before him and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

23 A fter the treaty made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people.

And after the union made with him he shall work deceit and shall rise and shall overcome with few people.

24 I n time of security shall he come even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and plunder, and substance: yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.

With the province in peace and in abundance, he shall enter and do that which his fathers have never done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall distribute prey and spoil and riches to his soldiers; and against the fortresses he shall forecast his devices, even for a time.

25 H e shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices against him.

And he shall stir up his forces and his heart against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall move to the war with a great and mighty army, but he shall not prevail, for they shall betray him.

26 Y es, they who eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.

Even those that ate his bread shall break him, and his army shall be destroyed; and many shall fall down slain.

27 A s for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

And the heart of both these kings shall be to do evil, and at the same table they shall speak lies; but it shall not prosper, for the time appointed is not yet come.

28 T hen he will return into his land with great substance; and his heart will be against the holy covenant; and he will take action, and return to his own land.

Then he shall return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits and return to his own land.

29 A t the time appointed he shall return, and come into the south; but it shall not be in the latter time as it was in the former.

At the time appointed he shall turn toward the south, but the latter coming shall not be as the former.

30 F or ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall take action: he shall even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and return and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return and have an understanding with those that have forsaken the holy covenant.

31 F orces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

And arms shall be placed on his behalf, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.

32 S uch as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and take action.

And with flatteries he shall cause to sin those that violate the covenant, but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

33 T hose who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.

And the wise among the people shall give wisdom to many, yet they shall fall by the sword, and by fire, by captivity, and by spoil, for some days.

34 N ow when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves to them with flatteries.

And in their fall, they shall be helped with a little help, but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

35 S ome of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.

And some of the wise shall fall to be purged and cleaned and made white, even to the time of the end because even for this there is time appointed.

36 T he king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done.

And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvels against the God of gods and shall prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for the determination has been made.

37 N either shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all.

Neither shall he care for the God of his fathers, nor the love of women, nor care for any god, for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 B ut in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn’t know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

But in his place shall he honour the god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he shall honour it with gold and silver and precious stones and with things of great price.

39 H e shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

And with the people of the strange god that he shall know, he shall make strong fortresses, increase their glory; and cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

40 A t the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through.

But at the end of the time the king of the south shall lock horns with him, and the king of the north shall raise up a storm against him with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships, and he shall enter into the lands and shall overflow and pass over.

41 H e shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

He shall come to the glorious land, and many provinces shall fall, but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab and the first of the sons of Ammon.

42 H e shall stretch out his hand also on the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

He shall stretch forth his hand to the lands, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 B ut he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

And he shall take over the treasures of gold and of silver and of all the precious things of Egypt, of Libya, and Ethiopia where he passes.

44 B ut news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and to kill many.

45 H e shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one shall help him.

And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas, in the desirable mountain of the sanctuary; and he shall come to his end, and shall have no one to help him.